Sugar is sugar

Unrefined and refined sugars can have the same affect on our bodies, unless they involve the whole fruit (eg, an apple or dates, as they include fibre, which means that the sugar is slower to hit our bloodstream. In my opinion unrefined sugar in small amounts is fine, but too much sugar of any kind can have negative health affects.

Many people rely on quick processed food for meals and snacks, which often contain added sugars. Apart from the negative health excess sugar has on our bodies, it can also be detrimental to our mental health. It is not good mood food!

The recommended UK daily allowance for adults is 30g a day (that’s about 6 teaspoons)

Unrefined sugar

Unrefined sugars are a little less processed, so they retain more minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients that are removed in the refining process.

• coconut sugar

• honey

• maple syrup

• molasses

• Organic raw sugar (Pesticides like Glyphosate is commonly used on sugar cane, which affects and damages our gut health) This is why I use Organic raw sugar

Refined sugar

These sugars contain no nutritional value and when consumed can cause our blood sugars to spike. This results in feeling less full and can leave you with a crash of energy shortly after consuming. My aim is to minimise eating these sugars and opt for organic options due to the amount of pesticides used. These sugars are added into the majority of everyday foods like cakes, yoghurt, sauces, salad dressings, bread, chocolate bars, energy bars, fizzy drinks…

• sugar (white and brown)

• Sucrose

• high fructose corn sugar

• glucose

• date syrup, rice syrup, golden syrup

Artificial sweetners

These I avoid consuming. They are chemically designed alternatives to sugar and in my view, a dangerous incarnation, and can often be sold as a healthy alternative to sugar. Sweeteners are many times sweeter than sugar and can trigger an insulin response. Research shows that the side effects of sweeteners include increased blood sugar levels, digestive issues, gut health, mood disorders, hormonal changes…

Sweeteners are added to many fizzy and diet drinks, protein powders, “sugar free and diet” sauces, yoghurts…,

• Acesulfame K

• Aspartame

• Saccharin

• Sorbitol

• Sucralose

• Stevia

• Xylitol